For the 14th year, locations throughout Black Mountain will host more than 40 festive Christmas trees in an event that raises money for Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry (SVCM) to help keep families warm in wintertime. Deck the Trees opens at the Monte Vista Hotel on Friday, December 6, and voting continues until January 6. Trees located in area businesses are also available for viewing and donations during this time. “The theme for this year is Winter Wonderland,” says Deck the Trees committee chair Libba Fairleigh, “and we are encouraging our tree creators to feel free to explore how the community has experienced the wonder of caring from throughout the country.” On Monday, December 9, from 5–8:30 p.m. Santa and Mrs. Claus will make a special visit.
Black Mountain Beautification tree, 2023
For many, this festive event has become part of their holiday celebrations. “One set of grandparents has established the tradition of taking their grandchildren to see the trees,” says Fairleigh. “The grandchildren get to pick out their favorite tree; the grandparents (even if they disagree) write a generous check to the fuel fund (Heating Assistance). There is a sparkle and a merriment that is evoked when people are enjoying Christmas trees.”
Donations of $1 count as a vote, and donors may vote as many times as they like for the same tree or spread votes out among many trees. Last year, Deck the Trees raised $78,000, nearly half of what SVCM distributed with its Heating Assistance fund.
Olivia Tyson-Warren, sales manager for Tyson Furniture, and her mother Carol Tyson decorate three trees for the store’s front window each year.
“This year, more than ever, the event holds significant importance,” Tyson-Warren says. “Our community has faced immense challenges and destruction brought on by Hurricane Helene, and every resource is vital in helping families rebuild their lives. SVCM stands as a pillar of strength and support within our community, and Deck the Trees is a heartfelt reminder of the Christmas season’s true purpose—caring for one another and our beloved valley.”
Carolyn Johnson, a community member who had been creating snowmen paintings since July, asked to participate as a way to help this year. “The snowmen became the theme for all my paintings and ornaments this year,” she says. “I needed to do something to help earn money for the fuel fund because due to the devastating storm the need for help will be great.”
Last year, the SVCM distributed $158,816 in heating assistance to 383 households in Swannanoa Valley. “SVCM currently serves 1 of every 5 people living in the Swannanoa Valley with food, clothing and direct financial assistance for rent, utilities and heat,” says the Reverend Dr. Kevin Bates, executive director of SVCM. “This work is an extension of our core values to give generously, practice hospitality (to welcome everyone as if they were Christ) and live relationally, treating people as friends to be cherished, not problems to be solved. In the midst of such a community-altering disaster that has displaced so many, we need to embody those values and the best of who we all are more than ever.”
To learn more, visit SVCMBlackMountain.org/deck-the-trees.
